She’s a senior in high school her teachers say is wise beyond her years.

Condoleezza Coleman is a young woman who just a few years after moving to the United States from Ghana is impacting her school community and blazing her own special trail.

In 12th grade at Bloomfield High School, she’s a star student-member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society. She’s president of the Multicultural Club and her class representative to the Student Council. She’s also an athlete -- playing volleyball and track and field. And as if that wasn’t enough, she’s also an accomplished artist in several different mediums.

Condoleezza’s big list of achievements helped her to recently be selected to represent Connecticut as the state winner of the Distinguished Young Women scholarship.

“Still to this day I’m still like really shocked about it,” Coleman said of receiving the honor. It is one of many she’s pursued and received during her college application process.

Her track and field coach Damian Larkins, who Condoleezza and her classmates call “Coach Country” says he could tell from the moment he met her that she was an exceptional genuine heart, with a work ethic that will serve her well in her career and life.

“She’s hungry to learn, she’s hungry for knowledge. She is self-driven. She is self-made. She wants to show everybody that she can accomplish anything that she puts her mind to,” said Coach Larkins.

And now as she awaits her final college acceptance letters and prepares for graduation, Condoleezza has put her mind to work with a focus on a career in architecture.

“I want to do Naval architecture, but then again architectural design. If I can incorporate those two, I would really like that,” she said.

She’s a student being celebrated for thriving in every circumstance. A young leader who- above all else - says she just wants other young women to know they too can achieve.

“Always believe in yourself, believe in what you want to do,” she said.